This isn't a skydiving incident but it has happened on a DZ before. Very sad but it's a good reminder about why we still have to teach this stuff to our students, and remind the experienced guys and gals that it can and does happen.

When walking to the plane allways make sure you and other people don't get to close to that propeller! I make the choice of walking the 'safe route' even if the engine isn't running, just to make it a habit, some people don't do that when it's turned off....

There's enough risks in our sport, lets not make something that's completely avoidable hurt us or anyone around us..

And also a good reminder to a) take care no family members of students (esp. tandem students) walk out of the "fenced" area and b) always have a hand at your tandem students gear (main lift web etc) when approaching the plane...

One day at the DZ, a Woofo was lifting his 4 and 5 year old kids up to "hang" on the prop of the Cessna that was sitting in front of the hanger. Seeing this, I walked up to him and explained how dangerous props can be even on planes that are just sitting there.

So, what is this Nimrods response? He turns around and starts yelling at the kids for playing on the prop???? Some people just can NOT be educated.

This might not be a skydiving incident, but it's as good a topic as anything we talk about on these forums. The ones that scare me are big, high-wing planes (e.g. twin otter) where you can walk under the wing while the prop is spinning.

Heck, in my days I never thought it possible to actually loose a student. Until a SE TI introduced us to the idea...and many other TIs soon followed.

These days, I bet that few Tis know about no-go areas depending on aircraft. Am I too harsh in my assessment?

In reply to:

And also a good reminder to a) take care no family members of students (esp. tandem students) walk out of the "fenced" area and b) always have a hand at your tandem students gear (main lift web etc) when approaching the plane...

Reminds me of the summer that I worked at Spadero's Airstrip on Long Island. ONe afternoon, it was too cloudy to jump and I might have been the only employee on the airstrip when a family of four wandered down the row of parked airplanes. Their four-year old son started tugging on a Cessna propeller - with his sister, mother and father all within striking distance. I yelled "STOP" and walked over to talk with the father. I asked him if he had ever seen old film footage of World War I mechanics starting airplanes by pulling on propellers. Then I reminded him that magnetos have not changed much in the interim.

I don't think so. We always "carry" our students and if one of the TIs has to do a back-on-back we take care of his student until we can "hand them over."

Colleagues told me in one occasion that "this is not 'Con Air'" - i. e. the student is not to be "carried" as if a prisoner (because I held him by the chest strap). But that was that. They just told me to be a little more discreet (e. g. always hold student's main lift web). Well, I usually do that but had forgotten that time, had grabbed him by the chest strap and... just then it was taped (small camera glued to strut) and could be watched on Vimeo two days later

I usually hold onto tandem students by the harness yoke (neck) or shoulder hook. Most of them seem to feel reassured that I am keeping a grip on them while we walk through the prop-wash of a turbine-engined-jump-plane.

The ones that scare me are big, high-wing planes (e.g. twin otter) where you can walk under the wing while the prop is spinning.

I once saw a fuelie walk between the fuselage and the prop of a twin otter... while it was running. fuck. that.

I have hot fueled our otter more times than I can count, and while being "comfortable" doing it, I am highly vigilant and terrified of that prop. From the moment I come around the wheel, my right shoulder is against the fuselage and NEVER leaves.

I have held my arm out though while the engine is off, and as long as my shoulder is on the body, I can't get hit, so there IS plenty of room there. I am not saying that it is a good idea, but you can do it.

If McGyver was so smart why would he lean on a prop of a twin in the opening sequence . The producers were so stupid to let him too. We had a jump airplane land at Detroit City Airport . The girl passenger whose dad owned a plane ran around the strut after taxiing in to tiedown before the prop stopped because she had to pee. Needless to say she soiled herself in blood instead.There is another part of the story never told too.